Aboud: Oil spill like bombing of fisheries

By
marabella \\\\\ Sue-Ann Wayow sue-ann.wayow@trinidadexpress.com

THE oil spill that occurred in Marabella on Tuesday is like a “second bombing” on the fishing industry, according to president of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud.

Using the bombings in Japan during World War II as an analogy, Aboud said, “Japan has not reco­vered from the first bombing when the second one was dropped on them. This oil spill is like a second bombing of the fisheries. It is a second disaster.”

He said the country was still feeling the impact of the series of oil spills in December, especially fishermen since they were not allowed to fish along the Gulf of Paria in the vicinity of La Brea.

On Tuesday around midday, Petrotrin reported a leaking tank from the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. At around 7 p.m., residents of Silk Cotton Road, Marabella, said they spotted slop oil (a combination of oil, water and sediment) in the Guara­cara River.

The Guaracara River flows into the Gulf of Paria.

Aboud said since the December oil spills, every day, fishermen continued to complain about the lack of fish being caught as a result.

He said: “That oil continues to bleed, to dilute and dissolve into the fisheries, and that which is being consumed by the fisheries is what is causing the dead fish and the contamination of the food chain such as the dolphins and corbeaux.”

However, the organisation was pleased Petrotrin did not use Corexit (oil dispersant) to assist in the clean-up operations this time, which causes oil to become 52 times more toxic, he said.

Aboud said Petrotrin has not yet learnt their lesson from the December spill.

He said oil continued to be present along the coastline and in the Oropouche Lagoon, and the claim that beaches were clean was a “pro­paganda crime”.